Oxytropis campestris var. spicata
Oxytropis campestris var. cusickii
field locoweed, Nelson's field locoweed, Nelson's oxytrope, yellow-flower crazyweed, yellow-flower locoweed
Cusick's field crazyweed, Cusick's field locoweed, Cusick's locoweed, Cusick's oxytrope, field locoweed, yellow locoweed
6–23 cm;
stipules glabrate to densely pilose abaxially, margins ciliate or eciliate, rarely with a few clavate processes;
leaflets (13–)17–33, opposite, subopposite, or scattered, blades 3–23 mm.
1.2–12 cm;
stipules glabrous or sparsely pilose proximally, margins ciliate or eciliate;
leaflets 7–15(–17), opposite, subopposite, or scattered, blades 4–23 mm.
10–30-flowered.
3–15-flowered, subcapitate to somewhat elongate.
(7–)8–30(–48) cm, axis 2–23 cm in fruit.
prostrate to erect, 2–19 cm, glabrate, appressed-pilose, or villous-pilose, axis 0.5–3(–6) cm in fruit.
whitish or yellowish, fading yellowish, keel tip usually not maculate, 12–19.5 mm.
whitish or yellowish throughout, keel tip usually not maculate, 14–18(–20) mm.
tube 4.5–6.5 mm, lobes 1.5–3 mm.
tube 6–9 mm, lobes 1–3.5(–4) mm.
12–23 × 4–6 mm.
10–19 × 3.5–5(–6) mm.
= 32, 48.
= 48.
Oxytropis campestris var. spicata
Oxytropis campestris var. cusickii
Variety spicata is a highly variable taxon that closely resembles its counterpart var. varians farther to the north, but it presents differing facies and forms intermediate with other taxa. Morphological intermediates occur between vars. davisii and spicata in southwestern Alberta, and with var. cusickii through much of its range. Plants from British Columbia and Washington, known as var. cervinus, are similar to Oxytropis sericea var. speciosa in flower size (17–22 mm) and in number of leaflets (11–17). Occasional specimens of that entity do occur in British Columbia, and the most apparent diagnostic features, both tenuous, are the thick texture of the leaflets and the more conspicuously ochroleucous flowers of var. speciosa.
Examination of the type (S. L. Welsh 1995b) shows that the name var. spicata should be applied to the taxon that was previously known as var. gracilis. If var. spicata is recognized as a species, the name Oxytropis spicata (Hooker) Standley (1921) could not be used, since it is a later homonym of O. spicata O Fedtschenko & B. Fedtschenko (1909). The name O. monticola A. Gray would have priority. Oxytropis spicata (Hooker) Standley is an illegitimate name that applies here.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Variety cusickii is highly variable in flower size, especially where the large-flowered Oxytropis sericea var. speciosa occurs nearby. The existence of apparently transitional populations demonstrates the absence of consistent diagnostic features to separate what are, otherwise, rather distinctive taxa. The flowers seldom fade to a relatively bright yellowish on drying, as in O. sericea var. speciosa. It is not always possible to distinguish specimens of var. cusickii from var. spicata. Those materials traditionally passing as var. cusickii often occur in near proximity to var. spicata, which occurs at lower elevations on the same mountain ranges.
Oxytropis alpicola (Rydberg) M. E. Jones is an illegitimate name that pertains here.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
- Local floras:
BC, 
OR, 
WA - Local Web sites:
Flora NW, 
PNW Herbaria 
WildflowerSearch
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- Local floras: BC, OR, WA
- Local Web sites: Flora NW, PNW Herbaria
- WildflowerSearch
- iNaturalist (observations)
- USDA Plants Database
- LBJ Wildflower Center
- SEINet
- Plants of the World Online
- Encyclopedia of Life
- Wikipedia
- Google Image Search
